With national politics so choked off by the crisis, the rise of reasonable technocrats to dominate the leadership of Europe is actually a small ray of hope. But long-term prospects for Europe really rest with the ‘subterranean politics’ of protestors and intellectuals

Kaldor, Mary
(2012)
With national politics so choked off by the crisis, the rise of reasonable technocrats to dominate the leadership of Europe is actually a small ray of hope. But long-term prospects for Europe really rest with the ‘subterranean politics’ of protestors and intellectuals.LSE European Politics and Policy (EUROPP) Blog
(06 Mar 2012).
Blog Entry.

Abstract

The displacement of elected leaders by technocrats has been seen by many commentators as a worrying symptom of the erosion of democracy in EU countries. Key decisions are being made at multi-national summits, while European voters often have little say in the process. Yet given the seeming failure of our national-level politicians, Mary Kaldor argues that a pan-European debate about the very nature of the European Union and the Euro is now needed – starting with the ‘subterranean politics’ of groups ranging from the Occupy movement to public intellectuals.